Dining by Design: Sandy Sends Me to Barcelona... Stamford, that is!

As Hurricane Sandy pummeled the east coast on Tuesday, Barcelona Wine Bar tweeted, "CT area: By noon today we hope to have all Barcelonas open. We'll have working bathrooms, outlets available & free WiFi."  They continued, "Feel free to come & use them. No purchase required; in fact, feel free to bring in your own food. Wishing all a safe/speedy recovery."  I have always loved Barcelona Stamford for its hospitality and personable crew as well as its delicious food and wine.  Still, the speed with which they responded and the fact that they thought of the safety of their diners first really gave me a newfound appreciation for the restaurants.  They stood by their tweets, too.  The hurricane left much of the area (including me!) without power and water for several days.  As a result, Barcelona Stamford turned into a haven.  Professionals conducted business over plugged in computers, mothers took young children into the bathrooms, and cell phones flowed from the outlets.  Barcelona welcomed everyone with open arms.

On Wednesday when we still had no power, I declared to my family that I wanted to go out.  As much as I love grilling, I wanted a break.  Plus, it was Halloween!!  I'd fallen in love with a cupcake costume and after a week of back-and-forth I'd bought it.  (For me, a store costume is a splurge... unecessary, not that practical, but fun!)  I was determined to wear it out.  I remembered Barcelona's tweets and knew they were open.  My parents enjoy Barcelona so I didn't have to present any other options or do much convincing after I mentioned that.

We sat at one of my favorite spots in the restaurant; the leather booths in the bar area.  The bar itself is my favorite for a night out or tapas and drinks with friends.  I want to be a part of the scene :).  The bar allows for interaction with the bartenders, a behind the scenes view of the drinks, a glimpse into the kitchen, and a chance to chat with the people around you.  Also, I believe that it makes for a more fun, direct experience with the company you go with.  Sitting at the bar forces you to block out other distractions and really focus on your friend.  With family though, the bar becomes less practical.  The booth is the perfect solution; it is just a few feet to the side of the bar and people are coming and going all the time.  The dorky food enthusiast in me coveted the direct view of the kitchen.  And we still had table space and an area to ourselves.

The setting around us was a beautiful juxtaposition of sophisticated wine bar and safe haven for those in need.  The dichotomies that I saw captured the spirit of compassion that's been resonating.  Many of the electricity seekers had left by dinner time, but a few remained.  In front of the luxerious, glass wall of wine, two cell phones extended from the outlet.  The owners perched on benches nearby, occasionally checking their phones while nibbling on some food.  Nestled between the usual bar patrons was a woman in sweats, frantically trying to get a loved one on the phone.  Waiters and waitresses moved back and forth to politely serve diners who were clearly there for a gourmet evening out.  At the same time, I could see a quiet businessman, taking the chance to plug in his computer, hard at work.

The restaurant boasted some wonderful, creative specials that evening.  I ordered a baby octopus tapa from them.  My mother selected the chorizo with sweet and sour figs and we agreed to split the hangar steak.  My father went all in with a plato principale, an entree sized dish.  He got the Churrasco, a skirt steak with chimichurri and sweet potato fries.

The octopus and Laurona

The octopus was possibly the single greatest seafood creation I have ever had.  I'm being totally honest.  If I make a statement like that, I have gone through careful consideration: recounting past memorable bites, factoring in creativity, and reflecting on the situations.  (And to better illustrate my honesy, I will admit that I say "possibly" because I still think about a bass dish that I had at the original Atlantic Grill about 7 years ago.  However, I have a hard time weighing it against the octopus because 1- it was really the broth that made the dish exceptional, so I wonder if that counts as a "dish" and 2- it was a while ago and the memory isn't super salient.)  Anyway, back to the octopus... possibly the single greatest seafood creation I have ever had!!  It was slowly braised with beans and cooking liquids, so that all of the sea flavors from the octopus infused with the rest of the ingredients.  It had a touch of smoke and proved quite savory for a seafood dish.  It came served in a small bowl, and took the form of a cross between a stew and a soup.  I loved it and am still thinking about it.  (Call me in 7 years to find out if I still am; maybe then I can finally make my ultimate decision for the aforementioned conundrum....)

The chorizo and fig tapa is a regular on the menu, as is the hangar steak.  Both are exceptional and popular choices at the restaurant.  I had never seen my dad's Churrasco, though.  The steak was cooked perfectly and came tender, slightly crispy on the outside, and spiced.  The true all star on the plate though was the sweet potatoes.  The outside skin had been cooked to a thin, crispy, smokey, flake.  Yet somehow, the inside flesh remained totally soft and sweet.  As a cook and fan of sweet potatoes, I find that this is a hard equilibriums to achieve.  I speculated that they were done a la plancha, but my server informed me that they had been quickly and carefully fried.  They were so delicious that I ordered a small side of them to go along with the tapas- and to replace the ones I'd stolen from my father!


The sweet potatoes as a side

At Barcelona, the wine is just as exciting as the food!  I ordered the Laurona, which I fell in love with while writing a recent article on Barcelona's wine for CTBites: http://www.ctbites.com/home/2012/10/9/gretchen-thomas-of-barcelona-restaurant-group-talks-wine.html .  It is smooth red wine produced in smaller quanitities.  It consists of Garnacha and Carinena from Montsant.

Once the dinner courses ended, I tried a dessert wine, something I don't usually do.  After that incredible glass though, I'm going to do it more frequently!  I got a Tannat from Uruguay, the Alcyone from Vinedo de los Vientos.  One reason, I've steered clear of dessert wines is because I think of them as overly sweet and syrupy.  Not the Alcoyne.  It is slightly thicker than a typical wine since it is a dessert wine, but in a totally smooth manner.  The flavor is incredible as well.  It has the element of sweetness that I craved post-dinner, but it's not overwhelming at all.  The sweet notes balance with lovely nuttiness.

And, it's from Uruguay.  I enjoy wines from this region; they tend to be lesser known, but artfully created.  Not all restaurants incorporate them, let alone a dessert version.  Fortunately, Gretchen is a wine mastermind and has had this offering on the list for many years.  This is a truly special glass and I really encourage all of you to try it.

I was so amazed by my meal on Wednesday night that I called up a friend and asked if she wanted to go back on Saturday.  She heard Barcelona and was immediatly on board, and we figured it was a good choice considering power is still spotty and restaurants have been hovering in and out of operation.

By Saturday, the restaurant scene had transformed.  It was still a refuge from Hurricane Sandy, but in a wine flowing, night out, reconnect with friends and family way!  (Note: Barcelona still offered its amenitities between 12 and 5.)  The restaurant was more packed than I had ever seen it; even on a Saturday night.  My friend and I sat at the bar, which got at least 5 deep as the night went on.  Energy radiated and bounced off the walls.  Everyone had come out of hibernation and was ready for some fun!

I ordered the Mencia from Gretchen's Buzz, another wine mentioned in my article.  Later, I had a glass of Beaujolais.  It was recommended, and I was hesitant at first; images of Neveau flashed before my eyes.  I was assured it was totally different though, and I tried it.  It was a great choice and something I would certainly order again.  It was robust and earth, but smooth.  The abrasive tannins I associate with Beajoulais like the Neveau had completely mellowed.

The food, again, was incredible.  Like on Wednesday, the chefs offered a few exciting specials along with the regular menu.  I ordered a sucking pig charcuteria (I'm butchering the spelling, I'm sure).  It came cooked, like slices of bacon, with thin fresh slices of Macoun apples and baby lettuce.  I think I detected pimenton.  Whatever the spices were was a perfect combination.  The dish was admittedly rich, but it was a tapa portion and every bite was incredible.


The sucking pig with macoun apples and mache

Another special left me in awe: the lemon cured mackerel with fennel.  I love mackerel, a type of naturally rich, smoky fish.  The tapa resembled pasta when it came out.  The slices of mackeral and fennel looked like noodles and the suffusing pimenton could have been mistaken for marinera sauce.  The tapa was utterly harmonious.  The peppery pop from the fennel blended with the smoke of the mackeral and the kick of the pimenton.  I think this was my favorite of the evening, especially with the credit awarded for the creative presentation!

Mackerel "pasta"

We also tried the crispy brussels sprouts, sunchoke chips, and braised short ribs.  The brussels sprouts were perfectly crisped.  The skin seemed to flake off in my mouth in a flavorful burst.  I also discovered that the crispy brussels sprouts skin went amazing with the mackerel.  I think that the smoke from each enhanced on another.  I even crumbled a little bit of it on a bite of the mackerel with great results.  The sunchoke chips were good, and came with the same truffle aioli on the hangar steak.  The braised short ribs were phenomenol.  They came topped with Barcelona's play on quimchi, one of my favorite meal components.  Quimchi is a like a cabbage braised in spices, usually Korean or Asian in nature.  The short ribs were so tender that I barely needed to touch them with my fork to make them pull apart.  They just seemed to melted.  They were delectable, rich, and savory.  I certainly recommend them, but know that they are a heavier choice compared to other tapas.


Brussels (left) and sunchoke chips

Short rib pot with quimchi
(Dark and blurry photo: I was trying to be discreet, sorry!)

When dessert came, the Alcyone was out!  The delivery vehicle was stuck in the hurricane... and I wonder if I shot myself in the foot by tweeting and telling all my friends to get down to Barcelona for a glass ASAP as soon as I got home Wednesday, haha.  In any event, that gave me the chance to try the Muscatel dessert flight.  For $12 and 3 tastes, it is a remarkable value.  I also give Barcelona kudos for getting such range in the flight: the first was sparkling, the second was of a mead color, and the third was much lighter.  They all had a different profile.  Of the three, the last was my favorite.  I tried to look it up online, but could not find it on the wine list.  I know that it had 2 initials, starting with a J, as the first word (JV?) and a name starting with an F for the second word.  If anyone knows what it is, please let me know!

I have been to Barcelona Stamford on so many occassions, but each time I have a completely different experience.  They are so skilled, yet incredibly amiable.  They constantly keep me on my toes with eclectic food specials, changing wines, and a continously evolving ambiance.